Tim

Tim lives with his mother, father, and younger brother in a suburb of a city of approximately 100,000 people. Both his parents work full-time. He has had broadband internet access since the beginning of the year.

Tim is a 16-year-old male who attends a public, co-educational school (years 9 – 13) and is in year 12. He takes the following subjects: Maths, English, Physics, Geography, Business, and Computers. He usually gets marks of ‘achieved’ or ‘merit’.

The PC desktop computer is situated in Tim’s double bedroom which also has a TV, double wardrobe, chest or draws, single bed, bedside cabinet and double wardrobe (fitted into the wall). His computer desk is a complete set-up (like Tom’s), but (unlike Tom) he has a quality office chair too. Tim has a Sharp Hi-Fi stereo on the top of the computer cabinet from which the stereo sound from the game comes through. Tim has had his computer for three years and it was his parents old one. He has bought new parts for it to make it better. His brother (aged 14) got his halfway through last year. His parents have another desktop computer in their office.

Tim spends 2 – 3 hours per week day on the computer, and approximately 7 hours per weekend day and per holiday.

Tim and his family emigrated to New Zealand from England when Tim was 7 years old.

Tim and Tom have been good friends since they first went to school together. Tom recommended Tim to me, as someone who was happy to be involved in the research, and someone whom Tom considered to be an expert. Like Tom, Tim spends most of his time online playing the game, ‘World of Warcraft’.